Chapter 126: The Siege (Apologies for the Late Update)

Even the most stoic and brutal Qiang-Hu soldiers were forced to bow before such divine power. They were utterly incapable of resistance; in their primitive understanding, the power of lightning was a manifestation of the gods, far more awe-inspiring than any tribal totem.

Xiao Hongyu didn't waste a word. Using his tranquilizer pistol, he took down every barbarian soldier one by one. These captives could be sent to the mines to perform the most grueling labor, extracting every bit of their remaining value.

In less than an hour, Wang Keyue had rescued the first group of Great Qin citizens, totaling 215 people.

Once the area was confirmed safe, Clan Leader Zhong finally emerged from the small woods behind them.

"Divine benefactor! Please, divine benefactor, wait!" Clan Leader Zhong panted heavily.

"Who are you?" Xiao Hongyu raised his broadsword, watching the old man before him with vigilance.

"Divine benefactor, I am a citizen of Great Qin. I am the leader of the nearby Zhong Family Village. My clansmen are here as well..." As Clan Leader Zhong spoke, a dozen more figures emerged from behind him.

"Divine benefactor, he is our clan leader! We are the members of the Zhong clan who escaped!" This was the voice of Zhong Laoliu, followed by Zhong Shitou, who nodded in agreement: "Yes! Yes! We saw everything from the hillside over there just now. Divine benefactor, you are truly amazing!"

"Yes! Yes! Divine benefactor, we are all of the Zhong clan; he is indeed our leader!" Among the group of terrified captives, some of the bolder men hurriedly chimed in.

"Thank you, divine benefactor, for saving our lives! We are from the neighboring Big Poplar Tree Village, and my cousin is married into the Zhong clan..."

"Thank you, divine benefactor, for saving our lives! We are from Li-zi Gully Village, and our village also has girls married into the Zhong clan..."

Voices rose one after another; in short, everyone in this crowd claimed some connection to the Zhong clan.

"Clan Leader Zhong, take these people and tie up all the barbarians—tie them securely. Then, go hide on the mountaintop opposite. Do not wander too far; wait for me to find you." Xiao Hongyu, not wanting to waste any more time, issued his instructions and vanished into the dark woods.

The two raced toward the Qin capital without pause. Along the way, they encountered three squads of Qiang-Hu scouts. These scattered units, typically numbering around 200, were led by a tribal warrior. Their mission was to collect grain and "two-legged sheep"—human flesh. It had to be fresh, of course, to ensure the sustenance of the main army ahead.

Wang Keyue happened to pass through Zhong Family Village, but it was already deserted. Aside from the corpses of elderly men and some males hacked to death on the ground, not a single living soul remained.

Every house had been smashed into a chaotic mess, with clear signs of fire. There was no need to wonder; the entire village had been captured as prisoners and food.

Anxious, Wang Keyue picked up the pace. An hour later, the pair finally discovered the trail of the 30,000-strong Qiang-Hu army. At the very front of the troops, a group of Great Qin citizens with their hands bound behind their backs were being shoved by the soldiers toward the gates of the Qin capital.

The Great Qin soldiers guarding the gates were a ragtag remnant left behind. Led by a military officer, they were attempting a counterattack. However, the results were dismal; the officer was too young and had never participated in a battle against the Hu. Everything he knew was merely theory on paper, and the Great Qin forces soon began to retreat.

Some of the more cowardly soldiers, upon seeing the massive barbarian army, had panicked and fled at the first opportunity.

Wang Keyue and Xiao Hongyu piloted their spacecraft directly to hover above the city walls. The attacking Qiang-Hu soldiers stopped in their tracks, all of them looking up at the colossal object before them.

"Monster... a monster!" Some, unable to withstand the terror, screamed and jumped from the city walls. The Qiang-Hu soldiers also began to shriek in their strange tongue and pull back.

Inside the spacecraft, Wang Keyue and Xiao Hongyu exchanged glances.

"Brother Xiao, why don't we just occupy this place today? The Emperor of Qin has already fled anyway!" The thought of the capital's 50,000-strong population excited her. If she truly occupied the capital, wouldn't her mission be completed ahead of schedule?

"Little Yueyue, I must remind you," Xiaobao spoke in her mind, "Occupying it doesn't count as completing the mission. You must make these people truly feel a sense of belonging and establish your own city-state or a new kingdom for it to count."

Wang Keyue pondered this. Upon reflection, she understood; how could the mission be that simple?

Still, she was determined to take this capital!

As for how to manage a city—well, she had ready-made talent available! Wang Keyue smiled slightly at Xiao Hongyu: "Brother Xiao, do you want to be the City Lord? From now on, this Qin capital will be under your management!"

"What? What?! Then what are you doing?" Xiao Hongyu felt like he had been blindsided.

"Me? Hehe... I'll just be the nominal... Queen!" Wang Keyue felt that her life of effortless victory was about to begin.

"Hehe... you... as long as you're happy..." Xiao Hongyu was left speechless, caught between laughter and tears.

"Mhm! Now, let's begin!" Wang Keyue said, pulling out a megaphone and aiming it toward the Qiang-Hu positions below.

"I am of the Daoist Crescent Sect. From this day forward, I shall take over the Qin capital on behalf of my sect and rename it Moon City. I expect the Qiang-Hu tribe to safely return our people and withdraw their troops of their own volition. You have a three-day deadline. Should you remain obstinate, I will not mind painting the earth with blood!" Wang Keyue used the voice-changer from her "Hundred-Face Mask," making her voice sound deep, resonant, and filled with majesty and solemnity.

The message quickly reached every soldier. The citizens of the capital wept with joy; they had thought their lives were at an end, but they never expected a divine master to arrive to save them. The entire city erupted into cheers.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the cheers within the city, the Qiang-Hu soldiers stationed ten miles away were in a different state. Many of them understood the Han language, and through translation and constant word-of-mouth, they grew increasingly terrified of the colossus in the sky.

Leading the Qiang-Hu forces this time was a branch of the Tatar Batu clan from the grasslands. This clan was an emerging power, unrestrained by the Khan, and they had openly violated their contracts. Their leader, Tatar Alka, had led his tribesmen over mountains to launch this surprise attack. He had expected to coordinate from within and outside to overthrow the incompetent Emperor of Great Qin, never imagining that at the critical moment, someone else would covet his prize.

"Hmph! A bunch of tricks and sorcery!" Alka laughed with disdain. What of the gods? If a god stood in the way of his imperial dream, he would kill the gods and slay the Buddhas!

That night, Alka led his 50,000 soldiers, using the captured Great Qin people as human shields, and began his assault on the city once more.